MOONSTITCHES

counting again, 28

Winter in Japan looks so bright and tidy. With the leaves fallen down the trees and all freshly cut, streets look so much wider and houses aren't hidden behind lots of green. In summer plants are growing rampantly here, which is great, but I do experience the months of leafless plants in winter as a time to come to a halt, take a breath and getting a clear head again before the wild, exuberant growing starts again.
It very much feels like the big cleaning which is done at the end of the year here to remove all dust and clutter of the old year to make things pure and fresh and be ready for the new year.

counting again, 27

Waiting for the train.
Good thing here, you never have to wait long and trains usually are on time.

Happy Sunday to you all!

counting again, 25

Hi you, still there?
Christmas went as quickly as it came and I must say, despite our really great tree this year, it felt not much like Christmas after Christmas Eve. With the New Year's holidays around the corner people are busy either at work or at home (big cleaning of the house!), trying to celebrate a slow Christmas over three days as it is usual in Germany is really hard. On Friday (Dec 26) we went to Tokyo for watching the Christmas Illumination at Roppongi Hills - only to discover that it ended just the day before... Slow us. And particularly slow me as I am three days behind with the numbers...

Something that actually felt like Christmas was drinking Eierlikör with orange lemonade (something our parents drank when they were young, called it Flip), or without. Eierlikör is some kind of eggnog. I thought it was the same but after seeing some recipes for eggnog on the internet I think our Eierlikör is just something you would call custard cream, plus alcohol.

This is how I made mine:

250 ml milk, 125 ml heavy cream, 125 g sugar, 1 vanilla bean (or scratched out left over pods like I used, they are just fine), 4 egg yolks, 200 - 300 ml alcohol (neutral taste, 35 %) , just as you like
- heat milk and cream, add sugar and vanilla
- slightly beat yolks
- add some of the hot milk mix to rise the temperature of the yolks
- slowly pour yolks into milk, stir, gently heat and stir and stir until thickened
- make sure to not let it boil!
- remove from oven, let cool down a bit and add alcohol, keep in fridge if you don't drink it right away

Catching up quickly with her too because soon she will have changed into her New Year's dress:

Hope you are all well. To those of you who are not, get better soon!

counting again, 21

A week ago, having lunch at a table like this.
On weekends we almost never eat at home. Restaurants as they are in Japan are one thing I would miss very much if I should ever leave this country.

Take care!

counting again, 14

14. anniversary of ISETAN in Sagamihara.
Picked up from the 10 Yen table in my favourite recycle store.

Happy 3rd Advent!

counting again, 7

Another of those busy days... if I wouldn't knit on the train, not a single stitch would have been done today... and of course this photo wasn't taken today either... it's from Monday (pick-up day for paper!). Too bad the books were so mouldy, the pictures inside were so adorable, would have loved to take the whole series of 16 books home.

Hope you enjoy your weekend!
Bye!

Windows, 26

Love this curtain. Don't love sssp, so it seems. Had to rip the First Half of the heel because I could not quite understand how the Second Half was to be knit. Trying this now.
See you tomorrow!

Edit: It worked!

Windows, 13

The last kitchen window, for the time being.
We had rain today, so the quilt blocks had to stay indoors, no photos were taken. Tomorrow then!
I haven't decided yet what direction the stars' quilt top will take from here. Continue with traditional or give it an uncommon twist... border, no border? And then the dreaded quilting which will definitely make me do a bunch of other things first before i take courage to start with it...
See you on Monday!

Windows, 6

Today's windows, actually from today. It was so sunny and really beautiful.
Will tell more tomorrow (and show) and can show you the finished block then, too.
It'll be tomorrow in a couple of minutes, so I will make it quick to get today's window posting up.

See you on Monday!

Snow

Surprise this morning, it snowed! This almost never happens here around.
It's too warm though, so it didn't last. But so nice.

I am happy you are enjoying the photos from the quilt show, there'll be more, next week.

Hope you have a nice weekend!